Chapter 356 Whoever stops me has something to hide
Someone is dead.
The Fourth Prince's face was gloomy, and Princess Leyang staggered and fell to the ground. The onlookers felt a chill down their spines. No one had expected that this incident would escalate to the point where the Black Armor Guards would be dispatched, but in the face of Canglang's words, no one spoke up to stop them.
It's obvious that the incident at the Buddhist temple was a trap set up by someone. At this time, anyone who tries to stop it has something to hide.
The Black-Armored Guards arrived very quickly. First, the thirty Black-Armored Guards who had entered the mountain with Tang Ning surrounded the front and back gates of Lingyun Temple. Then, in less than an hour, the sound of horse hooves and flames surrounded the entire Lingyun Temple.
All pilgrims were invited to the main hall of the temple and stood on both sides.
Master Xindeng was also invited over. At this time, he, Liaowu and several monks from the temple were sitting in front of the hall. Next to them were Princess Ji, the Fourth Prince, Princess Leyang, Madam Fu, Rong Yue and Tang Ning.
The hall was extremely quiet. After a while, a black-armored guard came out from the back hall, walked up to the crowd and said to Cang Lang, "Commander Cang, the three people inside have been examined, and they have indeed been poisoned by the mountain otter bone."
"Otter bones?" Old Madam Fu frowned.
"It's an extremely potent Chinese toon drug. It's a poisonous, lustful otter. If you cling to a tree without a partner, you'll wither. The drug's properties are extremely overbearing. After taking it, you must have sex to survive. Furthermore, the person who drugged it also mixed henbane seeds and datura pollen into the lamp oil and incense in the Buddhist temple. The smell of it can cause hallucinations and numb all five senses."
Everyone suddenly realized, and someone whispered, "No wonder, the door of the Buddhist temple was knocked open just now, and Sun Yi seemed to have not heard such a loud noise..."
Princess Leyang screamed, "I will say that someone framed Yi'er!!"
The black-armored guard ignored Princess Leyang's cries of thief, and continued, "However, of those three, only the Fourth Prince's wife and Sun Yi had the otter bone poison. The dead man was infected with an aphrodisiac called Trembling Voice, and the Fourth Prince's wife also had some."
"This substance is not rare, and its medicinal properties are not as strong as otter bone. It is often used as an aphrodisiac in some brothels and prostitutes in the capital."
Everyone in the hall was in an uproar.
"Why are there two more medicines?"
"Yeah, it's enough to harm people with one method, why two?"
When Princess Leyang heard that trembling voice, her face turned pale and she said hurriedly, "Since we have found out that someone framed Yi'er and the others, I will take him back to the capital first..."
"The matter has not been investigated clearly yet, why is the princess so anxious?" Rong Yue said coldly.
Qian Qiyue stood behind Tang Ning and said coldly, "I'm afraid it's because he's guilty as a thief."
Tang Ning glanced at Princess Leyang, whose face was pale, and looked up at the person who spoke: "Has the identity of the deceased been found out?"
The black-armored guard was very respectful when he spoke to Tang Ning. "In reply to the county lady, we have already performed an autopsy on him. Although he is an adult man, he is frail and has marks of whipping and scratching on his body. In the Buddhist temple, we found this hidden in his clothes."
He held something in both hands and handed it to Canglang. Canglang took a look and said, "It's the sign of Chun'en Building."
Everyone's expression changed. Chun'en Tower? Isn't that a famous men's brothel in Beijing?
At that time, it was not easy to open a brothel in the capital. It had to be officially approved before it could be operated. Moreover, the prostitutes and waiters in the brothel had sold their indentures and were usually not free. However, some of them were allowed to walk around outside, and this sign was equivalent to their "identity book" left in the capital.
The people in the hall thought of the dead man who was carried out just now. He was indeed handsome, with delicate features. When his slender neck drooped, he had a bit of charm that was not found in men. He didn't look too out of place when he was pressed down by Sun Yi. It turned out that he was a male prostitute?
"How could someone from such a filthy place enter Lingyun Temple?!" Princess Ji said angrily.
The monks of Lingyun Temple all looked extremely unhappy. Master Liaowu said in a deep voice, "Although the temple does not discriminate against them, none of these people came to the Dharma Assembly tonight."
"The master didn't lie."
Canglang held a thick stack of books in his hand. "There are many pilgrims for the Ullambana Festival. Lingyun Temple is worried about the crowds and the lack of food in the temple hall. Therefore, they have registered all those who come to stay overnight at the temple. Not only the nobles, but also their accompanying guards, maids and servants are all included in the list."
The black-armored guard who had spoken earlier said, "I have been ordered by Commander Cang to check all the people staying in the temple. Aside from the Fourth Prince's wife and others who have been in trouble, only Princess Leyang is missing an attendant."
"Princess, I'm also asking where your tall maid has gone."
Swish——
Everyone in the hall looked at her. Princess Leyang forced herself to look angry and said, "This palace, this palace is not used to the food in this temple, so I asked her to go down the mountain to buy some..."
"Really? What's her name? When did she leave the temple? Where did she go to buy things?"
“This palace…”
"The Princess's carriages are still at the temple, even the servants driving them are all there. How did that maid get down the mountain? Did she walk back to the capital? I don't think the Princess would be so mean as to let a maid walk down the mountain to buy food for you, right?"
The eldest princess turned pale when asked by Canglang: "What does the people in my palace have to do with you?"
"The people in your mansion naturally have nothing to do with me, but now a eunuch who has never appeared before has mysteriously died in the temple, and the eldest princess is missing someone. Could it be that the eunuch was brought up the mountain by the eldest princess?"
“Don’t talk nonsense!!”
Princess Leyang was panicked. She wanted to ruin Song Tangning's reputation, but she was at a loss when everyone looked at her with suspicion.
Her voice was sharp: "What does that man have to do with me? I have never seen him before. Besides, the person who was killed tonight was my son. You people from the Privy Council, don't even think about slandering me..."
"Then Princess, please explain. The door of the Buddhist temple had just opened, and why did you scold Tang Ning for being shameless without even seeing clearly, as if you already knew who was inside?" Rong Yue asked coldly.
“This palace… This palace…”
"Later, when you saw Tang Ning outside with Master Liao Wu and the others, your face was filled with disbelief, and you blurted out, 'If it wasn't Tang Ning in there, then why?!'"
Princess Leyang opened her mouth wide and didn't know how to refute. She was only happy at the time and only wanted to embarrass Song Tangning in front of others. How could she know that the person inside was not Song Tangning? Later, she suddenly saw the person who should have been in the Buddhist hall appear outside. She was so shocked that she blurted out words and had no time to take them back.
Princess Leyang pinched her palms tightly and cold sweat broke out on her forehead.
Rong Yue pressed on, "Why didn't the Princess say anything? With so many people present, wouldn't the Princess say I misheard?"
"This palace... Rong Yue, please don't go too far..."
"I'm going too far? I just want to get the truth, what's wrong with that?"
Princess Leyang's body was tense, her lips were trembling slightly, and her face was paler than paper.
Rong Yue sneered, "The eldest princess keeps making excuses and refuses to tell the truth. Is it because she hasn't figured out how to explain herself yet? Or was it that you wanted to scheme against my Tang Ning tonight, but you angered the gods and Buddhas, and they sent down heavenly punishment, so you have to suffer the consequences?!"
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